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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — a permit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a music group
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com